Refrigerator



T. I. POTTER REFRIGERATOR Original Filed June 5, 1934 INVENTOR THOMAS I P077??? ATTORNEY .filed February 16, 1931.

Patented Oct. 14 1941 UNITED STATES narmosaa'ron Thomas I. Potter, Buffalo, N. Y,, assignor to Refrigeration Patents Corporation, Buffalo, N. Y., a corporation of New York ApplicationJune s, 1934, Serial No. 729,072

. Renewed September 15, 1938 v ,18 Claims.

The present application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No.- 659,916, filed March 7, 1933,- now abandoned. The invention relates to household refrigerators having plural food chambers, and more particularly to refrigerators of this type in which different temperatures and different hygroscopic. auditions are maintained in the several chamrs. Heretofore, it has been customary to provide a separate door for each chamber of such a refrigerator. In contrast to this the present invention has for an object to provide a refrigerator in which a single door serves for a plurality of food chambers. An advantage of this construction is that it reducescost of manufacture and makes for a very neat appearance. Furthermore, the lineal extent of door joint that must be protected against thermal leakage from the outside atmosphere is materially reduced.

Another object of the present invention is to it provide a refrigerator in which thethiclmess of thermal insulation of the several chambers depends upon the temperatures to be maintained thereim- The heat insulation used in refrigerators is by no means a perfect bar to the flow of heat therethrough. Instead, it serves merely to impede the flow-of heat, and consequently if the walls of the refrigerator are of the same thickness and of the same quality of insulation there will be a greater "now of heat into the higher temperature cham-' ber than into the lower temperature chamber. This feature is disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent to Bronaugh et al., 2,056,165, granted October 6, 1936, on an application Serial No. 516,032, The chambers are cooled by evaporators connected in series and a thermostatic switch located in the warmer chamber controls the heat'pumping unit. Un-

less the. insulation of the .two chambers were properly balanced there would be a greater inmightwarm up considerably before the warmer chamber was warmed sufliciently to actuate the thermostat. By-providing a thinner insulation for the warmer chamber the latter will be warmed at thesame rate as or'more quickly than the colder chamber and the thermostat will be actuated to start the heat pumping unit and restore the temperatures in the two chambers to the desired difierential. In said application the two chambers are provided with individual doors.

.I have found, however, that there is a distinct advantage in using a single door for the two chambers. Every time the door is opened heat is admitted into the two chambers. If the chambers are provided with-individual doors and the colder temperatured chamber. were opened frequently, it might become unduly warm before the thermostat would operate in the other chamber 1 to restore it to its desired cold temperature. If the thermostat were located in the colder chamber, frequent opening of the door of the warmerchamber would result in warming the latter chamber too much before the thermostat would operate. By having a single door for both cham- 5 bers this unbalanced condition is obviated. Us-

ually thev warmer chamber is placed above the cold chamber and when the door is opened cold air spills out of the cold chamber and is replaced by cool but warmer air from the upper chamber.

0 The air that flows out of the upper chamber is replaced by air from the outside atmosphere. Sincethe difference in temperature between the two chambers is usually less than that between the upper chamber and the outside atmosphere the effect of opening the door is to introduce more" heat into the upper chamber than into the lower chamber, particularly as the upper chamber is the larger.

or the chambers every time the door is opened instead of into one chamber alone so that there is less disturbance of balance and no danger of having one chamber heated to an undesirable temperature before the thermostat willact to 4 raiity of panels, one for each chamber, and with to thermal insulation between the panels.

Another object of' the invention is to-providc means for eflectivelysealinz one chamber from the, other when the door is closed.

' sun another object of the invention is to rofiow of heat into the colder chamber and this tt vide a double insulation for the closure means In any case, the use of' the- 0 single door results in introducing heat into both of a chamber in which a low temperature is to be maintained.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description of a preferred embodiment and thereafter the novelty and scope of the invention will be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing;

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my improved plural-chambered refrigerator showing the door open;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental view in vertical section taken in the plane 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the door closed;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental view in vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of a portion of Fig.2.

In the drawing, I have used the reference numeral iii to indicate a refrigerator cabinet provided with two food chambers. This cabinet is formed with a lower compartment H in which the refrigerating mechanism (indicated general- 1y at if) is housed. The compartment ii is closed by a door Haj The upper part of the cabinet comprises food-chambersit and ill, disposed one above the other. The upper of these chambers is intended to be kept at a temperature low enough to preserve food but well above the freezing point, while the lower of these chambers is maintained at a temperature in which water and foods may be quickly frozen.

The cabinet may be constructed in the wellknown manner of an outer metallic shell id in which are placed tanks iii and ll of sheet metal or other suitable material to form the chambers .l3 and i l respectively. Suitable insulation IB is filled between the tanks and the outer shell. This insulation is extended under the tank l4 and also between the two tanks to form an insulating partition 19 between the chambers. Since the lower chamber I4 is to be maintained at a much lower temperature than the upper chamber 43, the tank ii is preferably somewhat narrower and shallower than the tank It so as to provide for greater thickness of insulation between tank l'l and the shell it, as clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. The tanks open at the front of the cabinet and are adapted to be closed by a single. door 20. Hence a door frame is provided embracing both chambers, This frame flares outwardly and is faced with strips ii of insulating material such, for instance, as Bakelite, connecting the shell and tanks.

The partition it, as shown in Fig. 2, terminates flush with the inner edge of the door frame. The outer edge of the partition comprises a' downturned flange 23 of the bottom wall of tank l6 and an up-turned flange 24 of the top wall of the tank i'i. However, these two flanges do not meet but are connected by a facing strip of insulation material 25. Thus, there can be no transfer of heat from the upper chamber to the lower chamber by way of the metallic walls of said chambers. A pair of gaskets 21 and 28 are located respectively at the upper and lower corners of the front edge of the partition it. These upper gasket 21 terminates at each end of the.

partition but the lower one is extended around the entire door opening of the lower chamber i4, being clamped under the door frame strips 2 I.

The door 20 is hinged to the cabinet and following common practice, may be formed of a metal shell 29 filled with insulation material 30. The door edges are bevelled to fit the flare of the door frame, and are faced with strips of insulation 3| adapted tofit against the strips 2| when the door is closed. It will be understood that there is a gap in the metal shell under the strips 3| to interrupt thermal conductivity. The outer face of the door is extended beyond the bevelled edges to form a bead 32 and within this bead is a gasket 33 adapted to bear against the face of the cabinet around the door frame when the door is closed.

The inner face of the door is formed with two panels 34 and 35 to close the chambers l3'and M respectively. The panels are separated by a recess in the shell of the door and there is a break in the metal shell in this recess which is closed by a strip 36 of insulation material. When the door is closed, as shown in Fig. 3, the gaskets 21 and 28 will prevent leakage of air around the front edge of the partition from one chamber to the other and the insulation strips 25 and 36 will interrupt thermal conductivity along the walls of the partition and door respectively.

The chamber i4 is shown as having a freezing shelf M]. This contains a coil of piping through which a refrigerant is circulated by the refrigerating'plant If. This shelf extends from side to side of the refrigerator and close to the upper wall of the chamber id but spaced sufficiently therefrom to permit of the insertion of ice trays and other receptacles in which desserts and the like are to be frozen.

In the upper part of the chamber 13 is located a. non-frosting coil 4! which is connected in series with the freezing shelf by means of pipes 42 embedded in the rear wall of the cabinet. A suitable shield 43 conceals the coil 4|. mostatic switch 45 is located at any suitable point in the chamber i3, to control the circuit 46 of an electric motor 41 which drives the refrigerating mechanism. This switch may be set to maintain the chamber H at a cool but non-freezing temperature, say 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of the series connection of elements 40 and ii the chamber II will be cooled to a much lower temperature, say between zero and ten degrees Fahrenheit. This wide difference of temperature is maintained by the greater thickness of insulation in the walls of the lower and colder chamber than in those of the upper chamber, so that between operations of the heat pumping unit l2 the temperature gradient in the two chambers will be substantially alike, and when the door 20 is opened heat will be admitted to both chambers.

.Since the coil 4! is of the non-frosting type a considerable moisture content may be maintained in this chamber so as to prevent desiccation of food. In the lower chamber, however, moisture will collect as frost on the freezing shelf and the atmosphere in this chamber will, therefore, be very dry. Such being the case it is desirable to prevent, as far as possible, not only the transfer of heat from the compartment I3 to the compartment ll but also the transfer of moist air from one compartment to the other. The gaskets 21 and 28 prevent such circulation of air when the door is closed, and when the door is open cold air will spill out at the bottom of each chamber and some of the moist air from the upper chamber will enter the lower chambers. Such slight transfer of moisture has not been A therfound to be of material consequence because usually there is more moisture in the warm air entering the top of chamber l3 than in the cool air which spills out at the bottom of said chamber.

5 I have found that without a break in the metal wall of the 'door 20 there will be a suflicient transfer of heat along the inner face of the door to produce a sheet of frost thereon opposite the lower part of chamber i3, thus reducing the However,

moisture content of said chamber. this is entirely prevented by forming the inner face of the door with separate panels and forming a break in th metal path from one panel to the other. It will also be observed that'the 5 partition I9 is provided withan upwardly -projecting rim 48 which prevents any dripping from. I the upper chamber over the edge of the partition.

Instead of placing the thermostatic switch in the warmer chamber it-may be placed in the lower chamber l4 so that the heat pumping unit would be controlled by variations of temperature in the colder chamber.

WhileI have described. a preferred embodiment of my invention, I wish itv to be understood that this is to be taken as illustrative and not limitative of my invention, and also that I reserve the right to make such variations in construc- I claim: 1. A household refrigerator comprising a cabinet formed with two cooling chambers thermally insulated from eachother, a singledooradapt- 5 ed to close both of the chambers and seal'one chamber from communication with the other, and heat pumping means adapted to cool one of the chambers to a lower temperature than the other, said door comprising separate panels of 40 heat conductive material for closing the respecpumping means adapted to cool the lower chamher to a lower temperature than the upper chamher, said door comprising thermally separated panels for closing the respective chambers,.'and a gasket of insulationmaterial surrounding the door opening of the lower chamber and adapted to engage the lower panel when the door is closed.

3. A household refrigerator comprising a cabinet formed with a pair .of cooling chambers arated from each other by a transverse partition extending from side to side of the cabinet, a single door adapted to close both of the chambers. a pair of gaskets of insulation material disposed partition and adapted to engag the door when the latter is closed, said gaskets providing therebetween a dead air space when the door-is closed thermally separating one chamber from the other, the door and the partition being provided with 7 strips of insulation material forming the front and rear walls of said dead air space and adapted to obstruct the passage of ,heat from one chamber to the other through the door or the parone of the chambers to a much lower temperature than the other, one of the. gaskets being extended about the entire door opening of the cooler chamber.

4. .A household refrigerator comprising a cabinet formed with a pair of cooling -chambers thermally insulated from each other and seption, and arrangement of parts as fall withing thespirit and scope of the following claims.

arated from each other by a transverse partition extending from side to side of the cabinet, a single door adapted to close both of the chambers, a pair of gaskets of insulation material disposed respectively at the upper and lower edges of the partition and adapted to engage the door when the latter is closed, said gaskets providing therebetween a dead air space when the door is closed thermally separating one chamber from the other, the door and the partition being provided with strips of insulation material forming the front and rear walls of said dead air space and adapted to obstruct the passage of heat from one chamber tov th other through the door or the partition, and refrigerating means for cooling the chambers, said refrigerating means being thermally balanced to maintain a sharp freezing temperature in one of the chambers and a temperature above. the freezing point in the other chamber without exposing the latter to a frosting surface.

5. A refrigerator comprising a cabinet formed with two compartments and with heat insula tion separating said compartments from each other and from the outside atmosphere, refrigerating means for abstracting heat from both of said compartments, the insulation of said compartments being adapted to offer a higher resistance to inflow of heat into one compartment than into the other, thermo-sensitive means in the latter compartment for controlling said refrigerating means, a single door for closing the openings of both of said compartments, means sealing the door about both said openings and additional means sealing the door about the opening of the compartment insulated tooffer the higher resistance to inflow of heat.

"6. A refrigerator comprising a cabinet formed with a cooling compartment and a freezing compartment, thermally insulated from each other thermally insulated from each other and soprespectively at the upper-and lower edges of the and from the outside atmosphere, refrigerating means for cooling the freezing compartment to a lower temperature than that of the cooling compartment, the thermal insulation of the compartments being so relatively proportioned as.

to offer a greater resistance to inflow of heat into the freezing compartment than into the cooling compartment, thermo-sensitive means for compartment, the thermal insulation of the compartments being so relatively proportioned as to offer a greater resistance to inflow of heat into the freezing compartment than into the cooling compartment, thermo-sensitive means for controlling the refrigerating means, said thermosensitive means being located in the compartment in which there is the greater normal intition, and refrigerating means adapted to cool Id-flow of heat, and a single door'for closing the openings of both of said compartments, and said compartment into which there is a greater normal inflow of heat being located above the other compartment.

8. A household refrigerator comprising a cabinet formed with a pair of thermally insulated chambers disposed one above the other, each chamber having a door opening, the cabinet being formed with a door frame embracing both of said openings, a door hinged to the cabinet and adapted to fit said door frame, said door having a pair of panels adapted to close said openings respectively, and thermally 'insulated from each other, a gasket of insulation material between said door and cabinet, another gasket of insulation material disposed between the door and the opening of the lower chamber and heat pumping means adapted to cool the lower chamber to lower temperature than that of the upper chamber.

9. A household refrigerator comprising a cabinet formed with two cooling chambersthermally.

insulated from each other, a single door adapted to close both of the chambers, heat pumpin means adapted to cool one of the chambers to a lower temperature than the other, said door com prising separate panels for closing the respective chambers, a gasket of insulation material between the walls of the door opening of one of the chambers and the adjacent panel and insulation material separating one panel from the other to obstruct transfer of heat by way of the door from the warmer chamber to the cooler chamber.

10. A household refrigerator comprisinga cabinet formed with a pair of cooling chambers thermally insulated from each other by a transverse partition extending from side to side of the cabinet, a single door adapted to close both' of the chambers, a pair of gaskets of insulating material respectively disposed between the upper and lower edges of the partition and said door when the door is closed providing therebetween a dead air space thermally separating one chamber from the other, the door and partition being provided with strips of insulation material forming the front and rear walls of said dead air space and adapted to obstruct the passage of heat from the one chamber to the other through the door and partition and refrigerating means adapted to coolone of the chambers to a much lower temperature A than the other.

11. A household refrigerator comprising a cabinet formed with a pair of cooling chambers thermally insulated from each other by a transverse partition extending from side to side of the cabinet, a single door adapted to close both of the chambers, a pair of gaskets of insulating material respectively disposed between the upper and lower edges of the partition and said door when the door is closed providing therebetween a dead net, 'a single door adapted to close both of the chambers, a pair of gaskets of insulation material disposed between the upper and lower edges of the partition and the door when the latter is closed, said gaskets providing therebetween a dead air space when the door is closed thermally separating one chamber from the other, the door and partition being provided with strips of in sulation material forming the front and rear walls of said dead air space and'adapted to obstruct the passage of heat from one chamber to the other through the door and the partition, and refrigerating means for cooling the lower chamber to a much lower temperature than the upper chamber, the lower gasket being extended about the entire door' opening of the lower chamber.

13. A household refrigerator comprising a cabinet provided with two cooling chambers insulated from each other, refrigerating means adapted to cool one of the chambers to a temperature below freezing and the other to a temperature above freezing without frosting, and a single door adapted to close both of the chambers and seal them from communication with each other, said door including means for preventing transfer of heat therethrough from the warmer to the cooler chamber.

14. A household refrigerator comprising a cabinet provided with two cooling chambers insulated from each other, each chamber being provided with a door opening, refrigerating means adapted to cool one of the chambers to a temperature below freezing and the other to a temperature above freezing without frosting, a single door for closing the openings of both of the chambers, insulation material between the door and cabinet and surrounding said openings for sealing said chambers from the outside atmosphere, and insulation material between the door and cabinet and surrounding the opening of one of said chambers for sealing said chambers from communication with each other.

l5. Refrigerating apparatus including an insulated cabinet having separate freezing and food compartments, insulating means extending between the freezing and food compartments for insulating the compartments from each other, a common insulated refrigerator cabinet door providing access to both the freezing and food compartments, resilient sealing means extending from said insulating means into sealing contact with the common door when in the closed position for preventing the flow of air from one of the compartments to another, and a refrigerating system including refrigerant liquefying means and refrigerant evaporating means having separate portions in heat exchange relation with the freezing compartment and the food compartment for maintaining said compartments at different temperatures.

16. Refrigerating apparatus including an insulated cabinet having an insulated partition providing separate freezing and food compartments insulated from each other, a common refrigerator cabinet door providing access to both the freezing and food compartments, resilient sealing means cooperating with said partition and said door when in closed position for preventing the flow of air from one compartment into contact with the other compartment, and a refrigerating system including refrigerant liquefying means and refrigerant evaporating means having separate portions in heat exchange relation with the freezing compartment and the food compartment for maintaining said compartments at different temperatures.

above freezing, a single door for closing the openings of both of said chambers, sealing means between the door and the cabinet and surrounding both of said openings for sealing said chambers from the outside atmosphere, and sealing means between the door and the cabinet for sealing said chambers from communication with each other.

18. A household refrigerator comprising a cabinet provided with separate tanks thermally in- 2,2os,9ce 5 sealing means between the doorand the cabinetfor sealingsaid chambers from communication with each other.

THOMAS L POTTER. 

